Re-Viewing the Situation

Ad agencies don’t have a monopoly on creativity. Fresh ideas and creative solutions are part of the lifeblood of any business.

We all get stumped for creative ideas sometimes, even the right-brain types around here. It can happen for so many reasons: deadline pressure, blank page syndrome, too many distractions.

One way to deal with the issue is to get a different perspective – physically. Get up and walk around the office. Go outside. Sit at a colleague’s desk. Heck, stand on it like Robin Williams’ character had the kids do in “Dead Poet’s Society.”

The point is, a different angle can force you to consciously notice the surroundings that normally fade into the background because you see them in the same way every day. This simple change in perception can tap a different area of your brain and help shake loose that creative logjam.

Looking through a camera lens can refocus you, too. A couple of weeks ago, headed from Tupelo to Jackson after an event, I was bored by the time I hit Starkville – not even halfway home. The late afternoon sun was lighting up the fall leaves, and my camera was riding shotgun, so I decided to see what I could capture on a high speed setting by just holding it up and clicking (eyes on the road). That launched a photo documentary of Highway 25 in Late Autumn.

Ansel Adams, these shots ain’t. But they transformed a dull drive into an engaging pursuit and compelled me to notice the changing sky, the curve of the road, the play of lights. And I didn’t even mind that the trip took a little longer than usual – some views just required stopping!